The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-21
GREAT RAILROAD GOBBLE
BY THE RICHMOND AND DAN
VILE SYNDICATE
or the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia Railroad
What Il Means.

CHATTANOOGA, TENN, January 20
The Times says: The gobble of tn
East Tennessee, Virginia and George
system by the West Point Termina
Company, better known IS the Rich
mond aud Dsnville railroad, continue
to be the theme of conversation il
railroad circles not only in Chstts
nooga but at every point interested
The feeling in Knoxville and Atlantis
over the scoop is that of insecurity
and both these cities feel that the,
are at the mercy of the Richmond an(
Danvills railroad, while here in Chat
tanooga there is only feeling of con
fidencs and ease. 1t seems TO be gen
orally conceded by all that Chattsnoo
ga will be the greatest beneficiary o
the scoop, as the consolidated shop
and headquarters of the great Eas
Tennessee system will, it is believed
he removed to this city at no distan
day.
The Baltimore Sun explains the ex
tensive ramifications OF the new sys
tenn aud says: The Richmond snC
West Point Terminal and Warehouse
Company modestly contents itself al
yet with a designation derived from 6
short line OF road extending from
Richmond 10 West Point, on the York
river, and the terminal facilities a. the
latter point, but as it some time age
added the Georgia Pacific to the Rich.
mond and Danville system, which il
was rganized in 1880 to control, and
has now taken steps to acquire con-
troll Of the great East Tennessee, Vir-
ginia snd Georgia system, it is fast
becoming a moIs'er corporation, ri
valing in The extent Of its mileage the
largest railroad combinations OF the
United S a.es. Its charter authoriz g
it "to change it's name when desired
to Richmond, Danville and Southern
Railway Company" and now that the
ideas OF its founders have been APP
approximately realized, the more de.
scrlptive name will doubtless, after no
long time, be assumed. The Rich.
mond and Dsnville system has a mile
age of 1924 miles, extending from
Alexandra, Va to Atlanta, Ca, and
thence 1877 miles further over the
Georgia Pacific, which it, con-
trolls, to Birmingham, Ala, the
great coal, iron and lime
stone center OF the Gulf States. Con-
nections are had st that city with New
Orleans, VicksburE and other South
western points. The branches of the
through lines are these: The road
from Richmond 10 tidewater at West
Point; a road extending from Greens.
borough, N. O., on the main line 100
miles to Goldsborough; a road run
ming west from Salisbury 100 miles to
Point Rock, Tenn, on tue East Ten.
nessee, Virginia and Georgia. Be-
sides these there are other cher;
branches reaching points in North
Carolina and South Carolina, among
them some that give access to sources
of traffic like Charleston and Augusta.
The new acquisition, the East Tennes 8.
see, Virginia aud Georgia, adds l428
miles to the Richmond and Danville
system and gives it important outlets
upon the Atlantic and the Mississippi.
Beginning st Bristol, Tenn, near the
Virginia border, the main line tx.
tends sou h westwsrdy PAP miles to
Chattanooga, and thence over the old
Memphis and Charleston road 80
miles to Memphis. From Cleveland,
Tenn, twenty mine miles east OF Chat
tanooga, branch stretches south
west 377 miles to Meridian, Miss.
Another branch extends from the
main line 1851 miles toward the south
east, and tlaversing Rome, Atlanta
and Macon, reaches the Atlantic at
Brunswick, Ga. Connections give the
system share OF the business with
Florida and the Southwest. Whether
for purposes of traffic in Southern sta
pies or for big operations in Wall
street, the system OF 4l19 milee, as it
exists today, presents certainly mag.
ni6cent scope for the energies of its
owners. But further additions are
said to be contemplated. The Norfolk
and Western, a road 408 miles long,
extending from Norfolk to Bristol, will
almost inevitably, it is asserted, fall
into the hands of the Richmond and
DanvilIe, unless the owners of the
Norfolk and Western, carrying out a
project they are said to have in mind,
build themselves a connection west
ward from Bristol to the Erlsnger sys
tenn. The Shenandoah Valley rail-
road, which extends 238 miles from
Hagerstown, Md, to Roanoke City,
a point on the Norfolk and Western,
is interested in this projected extern
sion, inasmuch as without it its South
ern terminus will be in the air. The
logic of the situation, however, it is
held among railroad men, points to
the absorption Of both the Norfolk and
Western and the Shenandoah VAL
ley in the Richmond and Danville
system. Such absorption is not neces-
sary to the last mentioned company,
as it has an outlet, as already stated,
from the East Tennessee, Virginia and
Georgia eastward through North Caro-
lima to its main line, but possession of
the Norfolk and Western would have
distinct advantages. Should the Nor
folk aud Western sndthe Shenandoah
Valley roads have the fate marked
out for them the Richmond and
Danville system will control, it is esti-
mated, more miles of road than are
embraced in the entire Pennsylvania
system, and several hundred miles
more than are contained in the Van
derbilt system with all its branches.
Under a strict enforcement OF the in
terstate commerce act such combins-
tons are not, perhaps, to be reckoned
ss wholly inimical to the interests OF
the South, though they seem to be
initiated for the most part by specula-
tors to facilitate the manufacture Of
new securities to gamble with in Wall